Batten down the hatches; typhoon fallout coming this way

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The ghost of a Pacific typhoon is about to strike Southern Oregon, likely boosting Roseburg’s rain total for September to a record level.

“We’ve got a very potent system coming in over the weekend,” National Weather Service Senior Meteorologist Tom Wright said today. “This is really an energetic system.”

Typhoon Paduck dumped nearly a foot of rain on Guam last weekend, but it ceased to be categorized as a typhoon Thursday.

It left behind, however, a rapidly moving moisture-laden air mass that was moving across the Pacific Ocean and toward the Gulf of Alaska today. Forecasters expect the moist air to energize warm air along the Washington state coast and create an “atmospheric river event,” also known by its less scientific name, Pineapple Express.

The storm is expected to bring heavy rains to Roseburg in two stages — one late Saturday to early Sunday and the second from Sunday afternoon to evening. “Two big bulks of dumping rain,” Wright said.

By the time it’s over Roseburg may have received at least 1 inch and as many as 3 inches of rain, he said.

If the storm unfurls as expected, September’s rainfall will set a Roseburg record.

The Western Regional Climate Center has rainfall records for Roseburg dating back to 1899, but many years are missing. The highest rainfall total for September ever recorded at the Roseburg Regional Airport was 2.83 inches in 1940.

Roseburg set single-day rainfall records this month for Sept. 21 and 22.

Coastal Douglas County is expected to receive 2 to 4 inches of rain this weekend, with around 6 inches falling in the coast range. The coast is also expected to be hit with 25 to 40 mph winds, with gusts up to 55 mph.

Winds also will be strong inland, 15 to 25 mph, according to the weather service.

The weather service is warning that the rain could cause landslides in South County areas exposed by wildfires this summer.

The weather service does not anticipate flooding. Also, rising temperatures mean precipitation won’t fall as snow in higher elevations.